Maryland’s annual Shop Maryland Tax-Free Week will run from Sunday, August 9, through Saturday, August 15, giving shoppers a break on the state’s 6% sales tax for qualifying clothing, footwear, and backpacks.
Clothing and footwear priced at $100 or less per item qualify for the exemption, while the first $40 of a backpack purchase is also tax-free. Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman announced the program Wednesday at Beltway Plaza Mall in Greenbelt, encouraging Marylanders to shop local while preparing for the new school year.
The Comptroller’s Office also announced a partnership with the Maryland Retailers Alliance to give shoppers a chance to win up to $1,000 through the Maryland Tax-Free Week Video Contest. Marylanders can enter by submitting a short video from a brick-and-mortar Maryland retailer sharing a money-saving tip between July 15 and August 1. Winners will be announced on August 8, one day before Tax-Free Week begins. Officials said the annual tax holiday helps families save on back-to-school essentials while supporting Maryland’s small businesses and local economy.
